Clothesline-supporting means



Jan. 22, 1929. 1,699,630

J. T. PlLKlNGTON CLOTHESLINE SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Jan. 22, 1926 WITNESSES INVENTOR I'Iifillkingfon ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED [STATES OFFICE.

JOHN THOMAS PILKINGTQN, or VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

QLOTHESLINE-SUPPO RTING MEANSJ Application filed January 22, 1926. 1 Serial No. 83,099.

in More specifically, the present invention com rehends su ortin means forendlessclotheslines which includes a plurality of pulleys disposed in substantially horizontal position on a substantially vertical axis from an overhead support, whereby, the leads of the line are in approximatelythe same horizontal plane.

The invention furthermore comprehends a means for tensioning the, line so ,as to preclude the displacement of the line fromthe pulley, which means, by way of illustration,-.

consists in. mounting the pulley-supporting 7 means for tilting or inclining, with respect to the horizontal, and providing'roller elements engaging the leads of the line.

- The invention furthermore comprehends a supporting means of the character set forth which is comparativelysimple inits construction and modeoof operation, inexpensive to an manufacture and install, and which is highly efiicient in its purpose. Y

Withthe above recited and other objects specification and accompanying drawings in 36 whi'ch there is exhibited one example or am bodiment ofthe invention which is, in no way intendedas a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims as it is to be clearly understood that variations and modifications which properly fall within the scope of said claims may be resorted to when found expedient.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating one of the line-supporting and guiding elements associated with the line;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same detached from the mounting and with the line removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates a vertical wall or other support; B, a port-ion of an endless clothesline.

The supporting means constituting the present invention, (a plurality of which it is 23 formed in view, reference is had to the following of course understood, are employed for supporting the line), consists of a grooved pulley 10 mounted for rotation -,on a substantially vertical bearing stud 11. The bearing stud depends froin a bracket arm 12, which bracketgarm is constructed from a substantially U-shaped strip of material providing par-- allel leads13fjoined at oneend by a bight.

14. The b ight and the portions of the leads.

13 adjacent thereto are cut away or, rabbeted on the upper and lower edges at 15, and re ceive in the rabbeted portions upper and lower plates 16' and 17. The upper end of the bearmg stud is reduced at 18 and provides a shoulder 19at its juncture with the lower portion, which shoulder abut-s against the lower plate 17. Thereduced portion extends through'the aline d openings in-the plates 16 and 17 and is embraced by the bight 14. The upper end ofthe reduced portion is-threaded at 20, to receive a nut 21. The nut 21,.ove11- lies a cap 22 having. azfluted periphery forming a pluralityof-grooves 23. A pair of rollers24are nounted for rotation on the angularly disposed terminals25 of a pair of arms 26, the inner ends of which arms are provided with downturned extremities 27 ful-v crumed in alined openings in the plates '16 and ,17 and selectively engaged and embraced in clampin relation by the retaining grooves by the fluting. -The nut 21 serves to retain the arms 26 adjusted and upon loosening of'the nut it isobvious that-the arms may be shifted selectively into the grooves 23, whereby upon again tightening thenut the arms are held in adjusted positi 11, H V

, Theleads13 ofothe bracket arm 12 inter: mediate theends, are rivetedto-gether by arivet 28, which rivet is embraced by the bight' 29 of a substantially V-shaped element 30. The upper arm 31 of the element 30 is provided with an angularly disposed terminal 32 and the lower arm 33 is provided with an angularly disposed terminal 34, the terminal 32 being disposed in an upward direction and the terminal 34 in a downward direction, where they are selectively positioned in a series of bearing openings 35 and 36 formed in the upper and lower attaching members 37 and 38 which are secured to the supporting wall or member A. The free terminals of the leads 13 are provided with alined circular openings 39 in which adog 4:0 is fulcrumed forswinging movement. The lower free end of the dog is adapted to selectively engage with a line of rack teeth 41 formed on the arm 33 of the V shaped element 30. In use and operation of the device, the endless line B is trainedaround the grooved pulleys of aplurality of supporting devices, the bracket arms 12 being tilted or inclined with respect to the horizontal to produce, through the engagement of the. rollers 24 with the leads of the line, a suflicient slack to preclude any possibility of displacement of the line from the grooved pulleys.v

In some mstances, the leads of the line where more than two supporting devices are employed, diverge from the pulley, as lllustratedin-Fig. 1, hence it is necessary to position the arms 26 thereof at an angle to each other, Whichangle will be varied according to the relative position of the o ther'support- 'ing devices used in connection therewith; In other instances Where only "a pair of supporting devices are employed'andthe leads of the line are disposed parallel, swarms 26 will be engagedin the respective grooves Which Will dispose said arms in parallel relation.

When the bracket arm 12 is inclined, the;

dog is engaged with the properraek tooth 41 to hold the same at saidinclined position. It is thus obvious that the pulleys arranged as heretofore set forth will permit of the free passage of the line with the clothes supported thereon, around the pulleys whereby every line may be used for the supportion of the port of clothes. Itis further obvious that an endless'line' supported in this manner will depending fro'msaid head, a'horizontally disposedpulley mounted on said stud: for rotation, a pair o'f-horizontal arms overlying said head and pivoted thereto, said arms having laterally outturned terminals, rollers carried by said terminals for engagingflover the clothesline' leads at points beyond tli'e peripheryof the pu lley,,and means clampingly en gaging over the roller supporting arms for retaining the same in relative diverging re lation coinciding With the divergence of the line leads. r

2. A supporting means for endless clothes-' lines, comprising a' horizontal bracket having ahead at its outer free end, a bearing stud depending.vertically from the under .sideiot the head, a horizontally disposed sheave mounted .for rotation on said stud, a "pair of horizontally disposed arms mounted oi'ler the upper side of the head and pivotally attached thereto, said arms having outturned angular terminals,- rollers mounted on said terminals for engagementover the leads of theline at points'beyond the periphery of the sheave,- and a clamping cap having radial groovesselectively engageable with the roller supports ing arms for retaining the same in relatively adjusted divergent relations to coincide with the divergence of the line leads. v Q.

3. A supporting means for endlessclothes lines, coniprisinga horizontal bracket having a head at its outer free end,.a bearing stud depending vertically from the under side of the head, a horizontally disposed sheave taehed thereto, said arms having outturned angular terminals, rollers mounted on said terminals forengagement overthe leads of beyond the periphery of the ine at points the sheave, a clamping cap having radiali mounted'for'rotation on said stud, a pair of horizontally disposed arms mounted over the upper side ot-the head and pivotally at- PILKINGTON. 

